In a ruling announced Thursday morning, the Supreme Court ruled that federal subsidies are allowable in states that have federally run health insurance exchanges.

WASHINGTON, DC – In a ruling announced Thursday morning, the Supreme Court ruled that federal subsidies are allowable in states that have federally run health insurance exchanges.

In a 6-3 ruling issued by Chief Justice Roberts, the Court held that subsidies are available on the federal exchanges. Other justices voting in the majority were Anthony Kennedy, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Stephen Breyer, Sonia Sotomayor and Elena Kagan.

Justice Antonin Scalia wrote the dissent, joined by Justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito.

“Congress passed the Affordable Care Act to improve health insurance markets, not to destroy them,” Roberts wrote in the majority opinion. “If at all possible, we must interpret the Act in a way that is consistent with the former, and avoids the latter.”

Had the court ruled otherwise, it would have put all of Obamacare in jeopardy, as 38 states do not have exchanges and Obamacare is too expensive for most people without a subsidy.

The ruling is the second win for President Barak Obama of his most significant domestic legislation.